Informal poll: IF you think we're losing the healthcare battle....

[vi5]

How much of it do you lay blame at the feet of Democrats and/or Obama and the White House?

Make no mistake about it, the republicans, and the insurance industries, and the media are behaving reprehensibly and like the sleaze that they are. But this is nothing new. None of that stuff is the slightest bit surprising. It's been exactly the same way for literally decades. So as dirty as it is, it's not the slightest bit new or sneaky. Any one of us on this board could have predicted to the letter how they were all going to react.

So how much blame do you think our side (not meaning us individually but Dems in Congress and the White House and Obama) bears responsibility for letting this get away from them.....for STILL not just believing in but seemingly CRAVING "bipartisanship" after all that they've had done to them over the past 10, 15, 20 years by the other side.....for not having a more effective media machine to tackle this despite knowing full well how the same media and right wing machine sank Clinton's efforts all those years ago......for continuing to act as though the free market ideology is one that at it's core is right and just needs to be tweaked a little.....for caving to corporations and special interests on the subject......for allowing the small minority of Blue Dogs to call the shots for our side and hold us hostage.

I'm absolutely still going to remain hopeful that something will get passed.....I'll still hold out some glimmer of hope that this is just another example of Obama using Jiu-Jitsu while everyone else is in the middle of a street fight.......that it's more of the same Rope-A-Dope that won him the nomination and the election. And if you really believe that yourself, then no need to respond or answer or any of that.

But if that's not the case....how much are you going to blame "our side" for this happening? I'm not trying to stoke fires, just really curious. Particularly after watching Bill Moyers discuss more or less the same subject on Real Time last night (not sure if it was a repeat or not).

[Vincardog]

1. IF we can't pass it with all three (Congress Senate and the Presidency) what is the point?

How can you blame the publicans for being themselves?

[elocs]

4. Yes, they are what they are and they do what they do. No surprise there.

If Democrats can not be inspired by the death and memory of Ted Kennedy to get this done, what can they do? I would have to say if things were the other way around, Republicans could get done what they wished.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

10. There ARE the so-called "Blue Dogs" (mostly in the Senate) to consider

Still, if they catch enough heat for their current intransigence, then I have a good feeling that they will either vote with us for the strongest bill possible or at least allow for a simple majority prevail in the end.

[ananda]

2. Only the will of the people can bring Congress and WH about!

It happened in 1964 with Civil Rights, and it
could happen now with a determined people's
healthcare rights movement.

[katandmoon]

12. Not if the campaign-chest-stuffing health care industry has anything to say about it

[dgibby]

3. 99 and 44/11 percent.

As the saying goes, "A house divided against itself cannot stand".

[GreenPartyVoter]

5. I would have loved to see universal healthcare pushed through by Dems' efforts alone but

it would seem impossible with all the blue curs.

("Cur refers to a mutt, a dog of mixed ancestry, typically characterized as one who tends to growl frequently rather than maintain calm.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cur ")

[MarjorieG]

6. The case had not been made to the country, now in economic fear. Kennedy's plan to include deals as

a partnership with insurance was the best easing of the pain that he thought was out there. This isn't ideology here, and removal of all private can't be done overnight.

Bill Moyers said we need to push this and probably lose. Well, we've been fighting this for a long time, maybe not honestly and smartly, and the case wasn't made for Medicare for all.

[tinrobot]

7. A million people flooded DC for the innauguration

Where are those people now?

I'd put the blame on the American people for not standing up as strongly as they did then.

[vi5]

11. But by the same token.....

....what exactly are they getting behind? For the election it was clear and simple: Change. Hope.

The thing is that even blogs and articles written by wonky policy types can't say what we are supposed to be getting behind? That's my point. One of the main reasons we're losing is lack of clear and concise messaging. Both in terms of content and messengers.

Yes, we do need to stand up, but a case needs to be made to to that large group of people in the middle who aren't staunch ideologues. And that's where I blame the politicians and our side.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Bill Moyers laid the blame squarely where it belongs last night.

His interview with Bill Maher should be required viewing by every Democrat in the Senate and Congress, and the documentary on Bill Moyers' Journal should be seen by all the idiots who are opposing systemic overhaul. Moyers is brilliant.

[Phx_Dem]

9. I am absolutely convinced we will get a health care reform bill with a public option.

Am I exasperated by Blue Dogs and disgusted with Republicans? Definitely. Am I worried?. No.

Edited: BUT, that doesn't mean I think we should relax our fight. We should fight harder than ever.

[Oregone]

13. All the blame

They lost the battle before it began by killing single-payer as an option